Bluetooth headphones and earbuds are all the rage these days, and rightfully so. For some people, however, Bluetooth headsets that are less bulky and only focus on delivering a great hands-free phone call experience are a better purchase. Whatever your reasoning for being in the market for a Bluetooth headset in 2019, our top pick is the Plantronics Voyager Legend because you get a lot of features at a great price.
Best Overall: Plantronics Voyager Legend
There's a surprising amount of Bluetooth headsets still kicking around in 2019, and among them all, we think the best pick for most people is the Plantronics Voyager Legend. The Voyager isn't the most premium Bluetooth headset out there, but we think it offers the best overall experience and value.
Plantronics' design for the Voyager Legend is simple and minimalistic in all the right ways. It hooks over your ear with ease, and thanks to Smart Sensor Technology, the Voyager Legend can automatically detect when it's being worn. In real world use, this means you can accept a call just by placing the headset on your ear without having to press any buttons.
Other highlights include a triple-mic array that cancels out unwanted background noise, a nano-coating that allows for water resistance, and a battery that's rated to last for up to seven hours of talk time on one charge. When you aren't using the Voyager Legend, it tucks away nicely in the premium carrying case.
There's a lot being offered here, and for the price Plantronics is asking, you're getting one heck of a deal.
Pros:
- Simple design
- Noise cancelation
- Wear detection
- Water resistance
Cons:
- Relatively short battery life
Best Overall
Plantronics Voyager Legend
The best overall Bluetooth headset.
For most people, the Voyager Legend is the best Bluetooth headset money can buy. It has a simple design, useful features, and comes at a great price.
Best Budget Pick: New Bee Bluetooth Earpice
If spending as little as possible is at the top of your priority list, we recommend checking out the simply-named New Bee Bluetooth Earpiece. This is the most affordable headset we picked out, and while it may not offer the absolute best experience, the value proposition that's offered is tough to argue with.
The design of New Bee's headset isn't anything special. The plastic over-ear design gets the job done, but it doesn't go any further than that. It's perfectly functional and comfortable, but pizazz is not a word in its vocabulary (although the white and gold colors do spice things up just a little bit).
New Bee includes additional earbud tips to help you get the perfect fit, CVC 6.0 technology is present to help eliminate background noise for crystal clear calls, and you can expect 24 hours of talk time with charging taking between 2-3 hours.
That's quite the package for such a low price, and as icing on the cake, New Bee goes as far to include a three-year warranty just in case anything goes wrong.
Pros:
- Comfortable and lightweight
- Additional earbud tips
- Noise-canceling
- Extremely affordable
- Three-year warranty
Cons:
- Uninspired design
- Not the greatest sound quality
- Short battery life
Best Budget Pick
New Bee Bluetooth Earpiece
The best budget Bluetooth headset.
Trying to save as much money as possible? New Bee's Bluetooth headset offers a good feature-set at a truly incredible price.
Best for Multiple Phones: YAMAY Bluetooth Headset
For folks that have multiple phones they regularly take calls from, our top recommendation goes to the YAMAY Bluetooth Headset. YAMAY's headset crams in just about everything you could ask for, and it does so at a price that's quite compelling.
Right off the bat, this is a really solid design. The headset is lightweight and comfortable to wear, the soft ear pads make long phone calls a breeze, and the flexible headband allows people of all head shapes/sizes to wear the headset with ease. It's bulkier than other options on this list, but it shouldn't cause a strain.
One of the best features of the YAMAY headset is the ability to pair it with two devices at once, allowing you to seamlessly switch back and forth between two different Bluetooth connections. If you have a work and personal phone, this could come in handy a lot.
You'll also be treated to a battery that lasts for up to 17 hours of talk time, and a handy charging cradle where you can store the headset when you don't need to use it, and a competitive price tag.
Pros:
- Flexible headband and easy to wear
- Can be connected to two devices at once
- Fantastic sound quality
- Good battery life
Cons:
- Bulkier than other headsets
Best for Multiple Phones
YAMAY Bluetooth Headset
The best headset for multiple phones.
If you take calls from more than one phone, you'll want to check out the YAMAY Bluetooth Headset. It can seamlessly stay connected to two devices at once!
Best Noise-Cancelation: BlueParrott B450-XT
If you're a truck-driver or someone that deals with a lot of background noise, chances are you want a Bluetooth headset that can block out as much sound as possible. If that sounds like you, the BlueParrott B45-XT is a great pick-up.
This is far from being a compact headset, but that bulky design has a purpose. You see that huge earpiece and microphone? With this setup, BlueParrot says the B45-XT is capable of canceling out 96% of all background sound. Seriously.
In addition to the powerful noise-cancellation, the B450-XT also come equipped with incredible sound quality, a comfortable design, Bluetooth 4.0, the ability to connect up to two devices at once, and over 24 hours of talk time.
You'll pay a pretty penny for the B450-XT, but considering everything you're getting, it's money well spent.
Pros:
- Unmatched noise-cancellation
- Powerful sound
- Comfortable
- Pairs with two devices at once
- 24+ hours of battery life
Cons:
- Bulky
- High price
Best Noise-Cancellation
BlueParrott B450-XT
The best noise-canceling Bluetooth headset.
For people that need to take calls in noisy environments, the BlueParrott B45-XT is the clear choice. While expensive, its noise-cancelation is unmatched.
Best Premium Headset: Sennheiser Presence UC
Some of you reading this list are likely budget-conscious and don't want to throw too much money at your next Bluetooth headset. However, if you happen to be on the opposite end of the spectrum and don't have a budget you need to stick to, the Sennheiser Presence UC is worth splurging for.
This is one of the smallest Bluetooth headsets we've found, and for folks that are always on the go, that's a huge benefit. You also get access to Sennheiser's SpeakFocus technology that uses three digital microphones to enhance the quality of your voice no matter what kind of environment you're in. Similarly, ActiveGuard Technology aims to keep your ears safe from sudden sound bursts.
Other highlights of the Presence UC include the ability to connect it to two devices at once, a premium carrying case, and a two-year warranty to keep your purchase protected.
Pros:
- Premium design
- Extremely compact
- Crystal clear sound
- Connect to two devices at once
- Two-year warranty
Cons:
- Most expensive option on this list
Best Premium Headset
Sennheiser Presence UC
The best premium Bluetooth headset
Sennheiser's Presence UC headset isn't affordable by any means, but if you want a high-end experience, this is one of your best options.
Best for Durability: Jabra Steel
Last but not least, if you're one of the world's many self-proclaimed butterfingers, it's in your best interest to buy the Jabra Steel. This ruggedized headset is designed to withstand quite a beating and keep on chugging without any problems, and for some people reading this, that's exactly what they need.
The Jabra Steel is rated for resistance against dust, water, and shock with an IP54 rating. If one of these elements does damage the headset somehow, you're covered by an impressive five-year warranty.
On the technical side of things, the Jabra Elite is outfitted with dual microphones for clear phone calls even in the nosiest of environments. It works with Siri and Google Assistant if that's your jam, and NFC allows for easy pairing. We also like the ability to have the Elite simultaneously connected to two devices at once, but the six-hour battery isn't the best the market has to offer.
Pros:
- Extremely rugged design
- Five-year warranty
- Clear sound quality
- Can be connected to two devices at once
- Connects with Siri, Google Assistant
Cons:
- Unimpressive battery life
Best for Durability
Jabra Steel
The best rugged Bluetooth headset.
This world is filled with plenty of butterfingers, and if you're one of them, the Jabra Steel headset offers great features in a super rugged package.
Bottom line
As you can see, the Bluetooth headset market is chock-full of some pretty great options. We think you'll be happy with any of the picks on this list, but among everything else, we consider the Plantronics Voyager Legend to be the best overall choice.
The Voyager Legends strikes a great balance of offering a high-end headset experience without costing too much money, with some of the highlights being a superb design, top-notch sound quality + noise-cancelation, and Plantronics' Smart Sensor Technology.
Battery life is on the weaker side of things, but with fast charging speeds, this pain point is remedied a bit.
Credits — The team that worked on this guide
Joe Maring Joe is Android Central's News Editor. He loves talking about all things tech, but smart wearables are what get him really excited (just ask the drawer of smartwatches in his office). He also likes coffee and goes to Starbucks far too often. Have a tip? Send an email to joe.maring@mobilenations.com or hit him up on Twitter @JoeMaring1
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